Can any one recommend good sources of info on Senior Safety/ADA concerns?
“Ask not what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive… then go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”
Howard Thurman
Can any one recommend good sources of info on Senior Safety/ADA concerns?
“Ask not what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive… then go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”
Howard Thurman
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Replies
The Eastern Paralyzed Veterans Assoc. were at the forefront in ADA/accessability information yrs ago. They have changed their name, but a search for the original name should turn up a current link.
Senior Centers I think too would be a good source.
A Great Place for Information, Comraderie, and a Sucker Punch.
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
http://www.quittintime.com/
>>Senior Centers I think too would be a good source.I'm looking to give talks there... for promotion
"Ask not what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive... then go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive."
Howard Thurmanhttp://rjw-progressive.blogspot.com/
Then this is one thing I would do.
Call HCR Manorcare. Hdqtrs-Toledo-the old Society/KeyBank (i think) bldg, across from Cosi. Joyce's co. does their printing. If you need a contact-lemme know.A Great Place for Information, Comraderie, and a Sucker Punch.
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
http://www.quittintime.com/
One problem I've run into is that all the ADA stuff (that I've been able to find) seems to be tied to commercial situations where the specs are intended to provide accessibility to some hypothetical wheelchair person.
They provide some general guidance but not a good set of specifics and options (and particularly not a useful standard) for fixing up residences where the problem may be more getting around with a walker, using a tub or shower without assistance, etc.
They also don't provide good guidance for how to deal with EXISTING structures where creating, eg, the 5-foot turning circles isn't really an option.
IMO there needs to be a whole 'nother set of guidelines and standards for residential.
Center for Universal Design, 800-647-6777,
http://www.design.ncsu.edu/cud
AARP, 888-687-2277, http://www.aarp.org/universalhome
National Advisory Council for Aging In Place,
http://www.seniorsafehome.com
Lifease, Inc., 763-277-5206, http://www.lifease.com special software to assess your needs, abilities and home; personalized suggestions to make you home more accessible, fee.
National Resource Center on Supportive Housing & Home Modification, 213-740-1364, http://www.homemods.org
Dynamic Living, 1-888-940-0605, http://www.dynamic-living.com
http://www.seniorhousingguide.us/accessible-home.html
Most of the stuff you are looking at in the commercial area, is actually relevant for seniors to some extent. The turning circle is based on a wheel chair. Senors don't get special ones. Anti-scald valves, sinks that can be accessed from a wheel chair, with insulated drain lines so you can't scald you legs, are all commonalities. Between a young person, and an aged one with loss of motor capability.
I would guess that if anything some of the things need to be more stringent with the aged. Wheel chair ramp slopes should probably be lowered for the aged. A lot of them are in chairs because they are too physically weak to walk. The uncle with emphysema is one of those. I had to build a really shallow ramp into the house, so my 130-pound aunt, who is also starting to go down hill, can get him up it in a wheel chair.
I'm 52, and starting to plan a remodel on my house, to allow me to stay in it as I age. Things like enlarging the master suite by expanding into an adjacent bedroom, to provide space to enlarge the master bath, to include a handicapped accessible shower, and raising the wall mount toilet to the ADA height. And, yes a wall mount toilet because they are lots easier to clean around. If I make the whole floor drain into the shower, and put up 4-ft of tile wainscoting, it will be really easy to clean by just hosing every thing to the drain. Grab bars around the toilet, and in the shower, probably won't be installed yet, but the blocking for the future installation will be.
Edited 4/19/2009 11:44 pm ET by Jigs-n-fixtures
My father concentrates mostly on high density assisted living development these days.
I'll send him an E-Mail and see what he uses.